Essential oils (EO) seems to be all the rage right now. And for good reason. They work!
Let me take you back. It's April 3, 2014, the day after my 49th birthday. No big deal; no big celebration. But I woke up that morning with, what I can only call, a death-would-be-preferable headache. I'd been having frequent headaches for about 6 months but this was by far the worst thing I had ever experienced in my entire life. I couldn't stand. I was sick to my stomach. Every movement brought agony. I ended up in the ER and was told it was a migraine. I'd never had a migraine before and it is a bit unusual to get them at my age. A follow up with my own doctor revealed a few possible causes, two of which were hormones and being overweight. According to my doctor, I was obese (gotta love those docs). I was put on a prescription medication for the migraines. It worked pretty good but I just didn't have a good feeling about taking it.
I had heard of a diet-plan from several ladies at church. Trim Healthy Mama. I borrowed the book and spent the entire weekend reading. It was well over 600 pages. This was plan for me. I jumped into it full force and in about 6 months lost 35 pounds. This plan, this way of eating was changing my life for the better. It's a natural, real food way of eating and understanding how food fuels the body. Yes, I still have another 35 to go but with the knowledge I have gained (pun intended) I have no doubt that other 35 pounds will be gone soon. As I learned about natural, whole, healthy food and experienced the benefits of eating this way, I figured that there had to be a similar approach to managing my health. That's when essential oils entered my life.
A year ago I knew absolutely nothing about them. I had a friend of a friend on Facebook and she was a consultant for a well-known EO company. Every now and then she would post something on Facebook about her EO business but I never gave it much thought. But one afternoon, after seeing a post on lavender, I contacted her. Maybe this was the natural solution I wanted and needed. I ordered a kit and, yes, jumped into it full force. I went to a class and learned more about what EO are about and how to use them. I did research online. A lot of research. (Some of which I will share in future posts). My husband wasn't fully convinced however. In the beginning, he called them "snake" oils. That's all changed now. He's a huge supporter of and believer in essential oils.
My first real "hey these work" moment came on an evening when I had indigestion. I had eaten a bit off the THM plan and I was feeling it. So I got my oils out and put a few drops on to my tummy and rubbed it in. Then I put two more drops in my hands and inhaled. Within 10 minutes all pain, discomfort, and burping had stopped.
My next "yeah I'm sold" moment came when I had a migraine. As soon as I felt it coming on, I took my meds but this time I also used peppermint oil. I put 3 drops in my hands, rubbed them together, and then inhaled-nice, long deep breaths. I also rubbed my hands on the back of my neck and on my temples. Off to bed I went. Normally, pre-EO, I was done for the day. Even with the meds, I'd be in bed most of the day and when I did get up, I wasn't anywhere near functional. Often the next day, while the pain was gone, I was left feeling groggy and slothful. But this time was different. I was only in bed for about 3 hours. When I got up, yes a bit groggy, I had a real, intelligible conversation with my husband. I ate a small dinner. I used more peppermint oil and the next morning I was back to normal. It's like I had gained a day and half back. The next migraine came a few weeks later. Same scenario. Awesome! The next migraine I tried something different. I only took half my meds and used a bit more peppermint oil. Ha....same as before. I was on to something for sure. Being I was told that my migraines were most likely hormone related, guess what I did? I got oils made to help with hormones. I use them every night before I go to bed. I can't tell you the last time I had a hot flash but I can tell you that I haven't had a migraine in over 9 months now. To me that is amazing especially when I consider how sudden and severe they came into my life.
Now I use essential oils for everything. Don't get me wrong, I'm not an anti-medical person at all. I had a severe knee injury in January 2016 which required major knee surgery. So I am very grateful for doctors, hospitals, medical advancements, and Percocet. But.....I did use my oils after surgery and I was completely off the pain meds in 4 days. Most patients use prescription pain medication for 10-12 days.
Yes, I know my stories are anecdotal. But I also know they are real. And I'm not alone. There are thousands of other people who can share similar stories. For me, this is not the latest fad. It is a lifetime commitment to whole health and wellness. If you want more information, I would love to share my oils with you. Contact me through this page or visit mydoterra.com/cherylshares
